ABSTRACT
The integrated system of water management introduced by the Water Act 1973 set up 10 public authorities in England and Wales, which combined both the utility and regulatory functions relating to water supply and sewage disposal for the first time. Overall management of the water cycle, comprising the river basins, catchment areas and other water resources, through the supply and distribution chain, is the basic principle involved. Usage as well as the final disposal of waste water are also important parts of the cycle (Fig. 45.1)
The Water Act 1989 (consolidated into the Water Industries Act 1991 and the Water Resources Act 1991), while ostensibly embodying the same principle of managing the water cycle, did so by separating and privatizing the water supply utility and the disposal of sewage. The Act made the regulatory functions and river basin management in England and Wales the responsibility of the National Rivers Authority (NRA).
